Camera tripod



March `1o, 1942. H. F. DUB'AS CAMERA TRIPOD Filed Dec. l5., 1938 F/G. Z.

ATTOQNEY Patented Mar. 1G, 1942 CAMERA. 'ramon Henry F. Dubas, Albany,N. Y.

Application December 13, 1938, Serial No. 245,446

(Cl. 24S-188) 5 Claims.

One of the disadvantages in tripods, ordinarily employed for supportingcameras, lies in the fact that the legs thereof cannot be positivelysecured against movement relative to the tripod head, when the tripod isset up, and such inability positively to secure the tripod legs indesired, relatively spaced relation very often results in slipping ofthe tripod legs, causing the camera carried thereby to fall and Veryoften resulting in material and appreciable damage to the camera. Sincemany cameras in present use both by amatures and professionalphotographers are quite expensive, a tripod for such .cameras should beof a dependable character and capable of forming a stable camerasupport.

In practice, camera tripods are made as compact and light in weight aspossible so that they may be easily transported. To attain suchcompactness and lightness, such tripods, of which I am aware, lacksuitable means for locking or securely holding the legs thereof inposition when the tripod has been properly set up and, therefore, theyare quite unstable and very undependable. Furthermore, in ordinarycamera tripods heretofore employed, the leg-lockingv extremely desirablebecause otherwise a stable- -lf set up may apparently be obtained which,in reality, is wholly insecure and, a jar or even a slight force, suchas that exerted by a moderate wind, may cause the legs to slip and thecamera supported thereby may be seriously damaged.

It is, therefore, the primary object of my in` vention to provide atripod for cameras which is so constructed and arranged that the legsthereof may be firmly and positively locked against movement relative tothe tripod head. Another i object lies in providing a tripod of theforegoing character which is very compact and light in weight. Anotherobject resides in providing a tripod comprising leg-locking mechanismswhich may be quickly, easily and simultaneously operi ated and whichwill grip and hold the legs in desired positions under a pressure fargreater than the force applied by the operator to the mechanisms.Further objects reside in providing a tripod of the foregoing characterwhich comprises but a few parts, may be cheaply manufactured and easilyassembled.

With these and other objects in view, my invention includes the novelelements and the combinations and arrangements thereofr described belowand illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is afragmentary plan view, partially in section, of a preferred embodimentof my tripod;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation view of the tripod taken in about theplane 2-'2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an elevation view of the tripod head with parts omitted forclearness. l

Referring to the drawing wherein I have illustrated a preferredembodiment of my invention, I indicates generally the tripod head whichcomprises a plate-like element 2 formed with a plurality of radiallyextending arms 3. A plurality of jaws d are arranged respectively tooverlie the arms 3 and are connected thereto at their outer ends.Preferably, as illustrated, the jaws 4 and arms 3 are integral at theirouter ends but otherwise are slightly spaced apartvand relativelymovable at their inner ends. The arms or jaws 3 and jaws il, whichrespectively are cooperatively arranged, may be transversely drilled toprovide substantially semi-cylindrical bearing surfaces in each jawwhich form the cylindrical openings 5 adapted pivotally to receive oneend of the tripod legs. In the embodiment illustrated, each of the arms3 is provided with a slot 6, extending along the longitudinal axis ofthe arm, through which the tapered end portion 'I of a tripod leg 8 isadapted to extend. In accordance with the construction illustrated, thetripod legsr 8v are provided at one end thereof withv trunnions 9 whichare adapted to be journalled in the cylin- /drical openings 5 andbetween the jaws 3 and 4.

For assembly purposes, the ends of the tripod legs may be threaded andthe trunnions 9 provided with a threaded opening into which the ends ofthe legs may be screwed after the trunnions have been mounted in therbearings therefor.

The plate-like element 2 is preferably drilled and tapped substantiallyin the center thereof to provide a threaded opening lil which is adaptedto receive the screw threaded spindle Il of an operating mechanismindicated generally at I2. The inner ends of the jaws G are preferablyarcuate in shape, as indicated at I3, with cut away corners whichprovide clearance between adjacent jaws, and the inner, arcuate ends ofthe jaws preferably lie substantially on a circle slightly greater indiameter than the diameter of the spindle II. Hence, the spindle II' mayfreely pass between the inner ends of the jaws 4 and engage the threadedopening I0 in the lower jaws or arms 3. The operating mechanism I2 mayalso comprise a disc I4, preferably integral with the spindle II andprovided at its outer periphery with a depending flange I5. The flangeI5 is preferably vertically uted or knurled so that it may be firmlygripped by the hand when being operated. A shoulder I6 may be providedsurrounding the spindle I I and a washer Il may be interposed betweenthe shoulder and the upper surfaces of the jaws 4.

The plate-like element 2 may be stamped out of sheet metal with radiallyextending arms which are respectively slotted. The arms may then beoverbent to form the jaws 3 and 4 and the substantially cylindricalopenings 5 with the slots occupying positions corresponding to thepositions of slots 6, as shown in the'drawing. In this case, the armsare overbent substantiallyto form the cylindrical openings 5 and thenreversely bent so that the inner and outer ends of the arms extend insubstantially parallel and slightly spaced relation like jaws 3 and 4.Hence, the finished tripod head will closely approximate and willoperate substantially in the same manner as the construction shown inthe drawing. In some cases, the shoulder surrounding the spindle Il maybe deeper than the shoulder illustrated so that it may engage the uppersurface of jaw 4 to effect compression between the jaws and to provideclearance between the operating handle or hand wheel associated with thespindle and the outer portions of the jaws lying about the cylindricalopenings in which the: tripod legs are journaled..

The spindle II is provided with an axially extending passage I8 in whicha shaft I9 is rotatably supported by means of a set screw 20 which isdesigned to enter and engage the circumferential groove 2I of shaft I9.The set screw serves to permit rotation of shaft I 9 within the passageor bore of spindle II while preventing relative axial movementtherebetween. Of course, various means may be resorted to in rotatablymounting the shaft I9 within the bore of the spindle. The shaft I9 has athreaded upper end 22 which is designed to engage and secure a camera tothe tripod head and the lower end of said shaft may be provided with aknurled knob 23 as illustrated.

When the jaws of the tripod head are substantially under no compression,the legs may be freely moved in a direction radially of the head such,for example, to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. However,when the legs have been properly positioned and it is desired to lockthem in such position whereby to prevent furtherl movement between thelegs and head, the operating handle or hand wheel, comprising the discI4 and its depending flange I5, may be turned vin a direction to producecompression between hand wheel. This is due to the fact that a verygreat leverage is obtained through the association of the elements of mytripod in the manner described. For example, the jaws 3 and 4 areconnected together at their outer ends thereby providing a fulcrum whilethe compressive force is exerted centrally of the tripod head and at therelatively movable ends of the jaws. Hence, the pressure exerted by thejaws 3 and 4 in gripping the trunnions therebetween will be appreciablygreater than the compressive force exerted at the ends of said jaws orcentrally of the tripod head. Furthermore, the torque established at thespindle is dependent upon the radius of the disc I4 or hand wheel and,therefore, multiplication of the force, initially applied in turning thehand wheel, through the medium of the leverages employed providescompression of the jaws and a gripping of the trunnions of the tripodlegs under a pressure far exceeding the force actually applied to thewheel.

The arrangement illustrated not only provides a tripod which may beeasily operated and in which the legs may be firmly and positivelylocked in desired positions but it also affords a very compact assembly.It will be observed, too, that all of the legs are simultaneouslyreleased or gripped by the jaws when the spindle or hand wheel isoperated.

While I have described my invention in its preferred embodiment, it isto be understood that the words which I have used are words ofdescription and not of limitation. Hence, changes within the purview ofthe appended claims may be made without departing from the true scopeand spirit of my invention in its broader aspects.

What I claim is:

1. In a camera tripod, a tripod head comprising a plurality ofrelatively radially arranged, pairs of jaws connected together at theirouter ends but relatively movable at their inner ends, a plurality oftripod legs having their ends pivotally disposed respectively betweensaid jaws, and a common means disposed centrally of said head andincluding an operating handle therefor extending outwardly above thejaws of said head for compressing said jaws into leg-locking position,said common means being arranged to engage said jaws in zones adjacentthe movable ends thereof and the ends of said legs being disposedbetween the connected ends of said jaws and the zones thereof engaged bysaid common means whereby the gripping force exerted by said jaws, whenurged toward each other, on the ends of said legs will greatly exceedthe compressive force imparted to said jaws by said jaw-compressingmeans.

2. In a camera tripod, a tripod head comprising a plurality ofrelatively radially arranged, pairs of jaws connected together at theirouter ends but relatively movable at their inner ends, a plurality oftripod legs having their ends pivotally disposed respectively betweensaid jaws, and screw-threaded means disposed centrally of said head andengageable with said jaws for simultaneously urging said jaws together,said ends of said legs being disposed between the connected outer endsof said jaws and the zones thereof engaged by said threaded means, andsaid means including an operating handle therefor extending beyond andabout said head, whereby a comparatively small force applied to saidhandle may cause said jaws to grip and hold said legs against pivotalmovement under a pressure of comparatively high order.

3. In a camera tripod, a tripod head comprising a plate-like elementhaving relatively radially arranged jaws extending thereabove andintegral therewith at their outer ends but free at their inner ends,said element and jaws being provided with depressions adaptedcooperatively to form bearings, a plurality of tripod legs journaled atone end in said bearings and a com-v mon, screw-threaded means arrangedcentrally of said plate-like element and adapted to engage said elementand said jaws adjacent the inner, free ends thereof for compressing saidelement and jaws into leg-locking position, said means being providedwith an operating handle extending about said plate-like element, andthe bearing portions of said element and jaws being disposed between theintegral, outer ends thereof and the zones of the inner, free ends ofsaid jaws engaged by said screw-threaded means` 4. In a camera tripod, atripod head comprising a plurality of pairs of jaws, the jaws of eachpair being connected together at one end thereof but relatively movableat the other end, a plurality of tripod legs having their ends pivotallydisposed respectively between said jaws, and a common, jaw-compressingmeans engageable with said jaws in zones adjacent the movable endsthereof for urging said jaws toward each other, the ends of said legsbeing disposed between the connected ends of said jaws and the zonesthereof engaged by said jaw-compressing means whereby the gripping forceexerted by said jaws on said legs will greatly exceed the compressiveforce imparted to said jaws by said jaw-compressing means.

5. In a camera tripod, a tripod head comprising a plurality oi pairs ofjaws, the jaws of each pair being connected together at one end thereofbut relatively movable at the other end, a plurality of tripod legs, andmeans engageable with said jaws and including screw-threaded means forsimultaneously urging said jaws toward each other, the ends of said legsbeing disposed between the connected ends of said jaws and the zonesthereof engaged by said means whereby the gripping force exerted by saidjaws on said legs will greatly exceed the compressive force imparted tosaid jaws by said means.

HENRY F. DUBAS.

